The Modern CA - Digi-CA™

Understanding the benefits of the Modern CA

Modern Certificate Authority [CA] systems like Digi-CA™ [1] are CA systems that have been able to leverage the many advances and maturity in Unix, Linux, PKI and Open Source technologies. These advances have brought many features and benefits to the Digi-CA™ system as set out in the following sub sections.

Important Observations on Digi-CA™

The three primary differences between the Traditional CA [2] systems and more modern CA systems, like Digi-CA™ are as follows:

a) Modern CA systems, like Digi-CA™, offer the ability to design a custom CA hierarchy as a basic component of the system. They offer the ability to operate multiple CAs from a single system and have a centralised web based system management centre.

b) Modern CA systems, like Digi-CA™, keep issued certificates, certificate requests and CRLs in SQL database(s) that also enable localisation of the system, simply and easily, because these databases are UTF-8 compliant.

c) Modern CA systems, like Digi-CA™ [1], combines the customisation of the number/type of enrolment fields on the application form(s), at will. Customisation of the help files and their localisation is simple and straightforward and certificate delivery using a .csv is also supported. There is also web based enrolment using any browser and API development for third party integration is also an 'in built' capability and can be done so inexpensively.

The following list summarises the deficiencies in most traditional CA systems:

Ability to design a custom CA hierarchy

Ability to operate multiple Certification Authorities

Centralized web based system management centre

Access to the system management is two-factor, (USB key or smart card)